In the continuing struggle of union workers at Seattle’s Space Needle, over 100 supporters and members of Unite Here Local 8 formed a picket line and risked arrest in front of the Space Needle. After 45 minutes of picketing, 23 activists sat in a circle at the middle of Broad Street and John Street in front of the Space Needle while 15-20 SPD officers blocked traffic and watched from the sidewalk. A marching band kept the picket line moving as the circle of civil disobedience chanted demands of job security.

The Space Needle recently compensated workers for back pay and missed raises, but the issue of subcontracting is still a concern among workers.  KPLU reports “Space Needle LLC said in a statement that the workers have one of the strongest wages and benefits packages in the hospitality industry. The company says it’s had the right to subcontract for the last 28 years and that this issue hasn’t come up in previous decades of bargaining.” http://www.kplu.org/post/space-needle-workers-hold-one-day-picket-amid-long-running-labor-dispute

Space Needle worker Jessica Severance says “I don’t understand why they can say at negotiations that they have no plans to subcontract, but can’t manage to put that language in our contracts?” As the Union’s action shut down the Space Needle Loop where the valet is located, Union organizers gathered donations from the workers and supporters in excess of $280 to account for any tips lost for the 5 Space Needle valets working between 3:30 pm and 5 pm.

From the Facebook event page…

“This Labor Day, Space Needle workers are taking to the picket line to demand assurance from the private owners of the Symbol of Seattle that they’ll still have their jobs come next September.

Originating as a holiday to celebrate the contributions of American workers, Labor Day is now one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, meaning hard work and long hours for hospitality workers and runaway profits for hospitality owners. In 2014, Seattle had the highest average hotel room rates of any city in the country over the Labor Day weekend.

Space Needle workers have organized and fought to make their jobs some of the best hospitality jobs in the city. However, these advances could all be lost if management decides to bring in subcontractors. Under existing conditions, an outside contractor could cut wages and benefits and refuse to rehire long-time workers.

Subcontracting is pervasive throughout the hospitality industry and workers in valet and food and beverage services are particularly vulnerable. As such, subcontracting protections have become a standard component of union contracts for hospitality workers in Seattle.

Space Needle owners are still refusing to grant workers these basic protections.”

Six months after dairy farm worker Randy Vasquez drowned in an unmarked manure pond while working at night, his widow and labor supporters met to protest unsafe conditions at Dairygold headquarters. The labor leaders attempted to deliver over 30,000 petitions asking for a dialogue with Dairygold executives concerning worker safety but were met with locked doors.
When the event organizers called the front desk to ask to meet with the CEO, they was told “he’s not here” followed by silence. Labor leaders staged a sit in at the front doors but no one from Dairygold spoke to the group.

“Nobody should die like Randy Vasquez did, drowning in a manure pond at a Darigold member farm in Mabton, WA. His death earlier this year has strengthened the resolve of Darigold farmworkers and inspired other labor and community activists to take up the battle to improve dairy workers’ safety.

Next Wednesday, September 2^nd, we’ll deliver more than 30,000 petition signatures to Darigold demanding that the company meet with the United Farm Workers (UFW) to deal with health and safety for farmworkers. The petitions will be delivered in a casket, honoring the eleven dairy farmworkers who have died in recent years. After Randy’s death, the dairy was fined a paltry $6,800 by L&I for “serious” safety violations – but the owner is appealing even that small fine, evidently the going price for a farmworker’s death.

Dairy work is among the most dangerous in the country with injury rates 50% higher than in most private sector jobs.  Dairy workers typically work five or six 12-hour days, followed by one day off before they’re back to work.  They breathe foul air containing bacteria and manure dust, moving quickly over slick cement floors, often stepped on by 1,500 pound cattle.”

• Martin Luther King County Labor council

Dozens of activists marched from Occidental Park to the Henry M. Jackson Federal building with a giant puppet of Obama leading a leaky oil derrick and a marching band playing a funeral dirge for the climate. Once the procession reached the Federal building, the crowd listened to speakers and a traditional native song by Matt Remle. After the speakers, over 20 activists preformed a “die in” near the front doors of the Federal building.

“While President Obama meets with world leaders in Anchorage for the GLACIER Conference, the ShellNo Action Council will hold a funeral procession and “Die In” for the Arctic to highlight Obama’s hypocrisy. He gives permission to Shell to drill in the Arctic while simultaneously saying he wants to protect the Arctic and the climate.

Join us on Monday August 31st, from 11:30am to 1:30pm, beginning at Occidental Park and ending outside the federal building on 2nd Ave and Madison St. We will march in funeral procession from Occidental Park to the federal building where we will stage a “Die In” to highlight the grim reality of Arctic drilling that will lead to over 2 degrees planetary warming causing climate catastrophe.

ShellNo Action Council is standing in solidarity with ShellNo! Alaska’s four demands of President Obama:
1. A rapid transition to renewable energy;
2. Cessation of exploratory drilling in the Arctic;
3. Protection of indigenous peoples’ rights and communities;
4. Binding agreements at the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference that are on par with what science has shown is necessary for a livable future.

Shellno Alaska’s demands are outlined in detail at:
http://www.alaskaclimateaction.org/demands_ocof

#ShellNo #PeoplevsShell” – March Against Hypocrisy! Seattle In Solidarity with ShellNo Alaska

On August 12th, a warehouse explosion in Tianjin, China killed 150 people and injured more than 700 while doing millions worth of damage to the surrounding area. A group of community members in Seattle gathered on August 23rd to pay respects with poetry, music, and a moment of silence.

From the Facebook event page…

“Please join us in honoring and mourning the lives lost in the devastating Tianjin explosions this last week. The death toll is now 200 and thousands have become homeless. Over 700 people are injured and too many are missing. This memorial is hosted by the Asian Pacific Rim Solidarity Network (PARISOL). We seek to raise awareness of the deeply harmful social and environmental impacts of this disaster and be in solidarity with those impacted. Everyone is welcome to join. We ask that this space be held with respect and in safety as people grieve. Please feel free to bring candles, incense, flowers, poetry, and words to share.

Video of explosion on Wednesday, investigation of chemicals that were released
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33923478

Summary of explosions and impact
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/15/asia/china-tianjin-explosions/

JOIN US FOR DISCUSSION:

-What is needed to prevent another disaster like this?

-How can folks in the US support people in China who were impacted? How can we support Chinese workers rights and labor organizing?

PARISOL is a Chinese/Chinese-diaspora organization for revolutionary international solidarity. We stand for worker’s power from the Foxconn factories in Shenzhen to Seattle restaurant kitchens where Chinese people are exploited for profit. We are dedicated to challenging anti-black racism in Chinese communities and creating meaningful Chinese/African-American solidarity relationships. All power to the people!“

On Saturday, August 8th, activists from the Black Lives Matter movement seized an opportunity to disrupt the status quo and interrupted a speech being given by Bernie Sanders. During their time on the microphone, they criticized liberal Seattle for hiding it’s racism. In what seems a partial response to the interruption, activists with the Localize This! Action Camp in coordination with the Backbone Campaign, brought a 15ft inflatable elephant covered with a banner reading “RACISM”, living room furniture complete with coffee table and literature on racism, and a flip board with scenes depicting institutionalized and systemic racism and the intersections of education and climate change. They also handed out pamphlets and engaged in conversation anyone willing to discuss the topic of racism. Scans of the pamphlets can be found below.

Scan of the pamphlet

From the Facebook event page…

“You are invited to participate in a public interactive art installation to expose racism as the “elephant in the room”. This event will take place on Monday beginning at 11:00 am at Westlake Park in Seattle.

We are a collection of activists who are from the Pacific Northwest and around the country. We created this installation in collaboration with the Backbone Campaign Localize This Action Camp.

We are responding to recent events of racism and to a request from people of color. We have been asked to educate ourselves in order to see racism, then take actions to end racism.

As a group, we are predominantly white activists who are looking inwards and reaching out to our peers to join us in this action. We are challenging ourselves and others to commit to taking one concrete step towards racial justice and to share our challenge.” – https://www.facebook.com/events/1475893819399252/

Hundreds gathered at Seattle Central College in Seattle to march in solidarity with Black Lives Matter demonstrations occurring around the country in memory of Michael Brown on the one year anniversary of his death. After listening to several speakers the march proceeded through Capitol Hill, the Central District, and back, blocking intersections as those who felt compelled to speak did so. The first stop along the march route was the Seattle Police Department East Precinct at 12th and Pine where SPD blocked the sidewalk around the building and SPD vehicles parked on the street. Several more intersections were encircled along the route and people of color were encouraged to take the megaphone and express their beliefs and concerns. While SPD maintained a heavy presence on bicycles and following the demonstration in vehicles, no arrests were made.

As the sun warmed the Alaskan Airlines Center at UW, 12,000 people packed themselves into the warm venue and 3,000 listened outside as Bernie Sanders, presidential candidate and Vermont Senator took the stage. He was warmly received by the audience and spoke for over an hour on issues ranging from economic injustice, racial inequality, jobs and climate change. He also spoke at length on issues of reforming Wall Street and getting money out of politics. Sanders also made vows to fight for single payer, universal health care and free four year higher education.

More about Bernie Sanders can be found at… https://berniesanders.com/

An estimated 3,000 people gathered in Westlake Park on Saturday, August 8th, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Social Security and the 50th anniversary of Medicare. Speakers included the president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP Gerald Hankerson, Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, Congressional Representative Adam Smith, WA State Senator Pramila Jayapal, and Vermont Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

As Bernie Sanders took the stage, two activists proceeded to also take the stage. After confronting Bernie Sanders and the organizers, the activists were given the microphone and allowed to speak. The two women, affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement in Seattle, called for four and a half minutes of silence to reflect on the death of Michael Brown, on the eve of the one year anniversary of his death. Boo’s and jeers rained down on the activists for interrupting Bernie Sanders while some in the crowd could be heard shouting “let her speak!”. As the crowd continued shouting, the activists replied they would shut the event down if they were not heard. The activists welcomed Sanders to Seattle and explained the issues they were fighting for. At the end of the moment of silence, the microphone was handed to Bernie Sanders, but he handed it back to the organizers and refused to speak. Sanders then left the stage and entered the crowd to shake hands. Sanders spoke at an election event that drew 12,000+ at the University of Washington later that evening.

The Bernie Sanders website was adjusted in the early hours of August 9th to reflect his stance on the issue of racial justice. The addition can be found here…https://berniesanders.com/issues/racial-justice/

Additional articles from women of color can be found here…

http://seattleglobalist.com/2015/08/09/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter-race-divide-in-seattle/40394

and here…

http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/08/09/22671957/guest-editorial-why-saturdays-bernie-sanders-rally-left-me-feeling-heartbroken

As the gates to Safeco Field opened for the Mariners vs. Angels game, thousands of fans streamed past a rally held near Century Link Field in protest of oil trains that pass the stadiums on a daily basis. Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant spoke at the rally and joined the demonstration as they marched from Century Link to Safeco in a silent procession holding photos and names of the 47 people who died in Lac-Mégantic Quebec during an oil train explosion in 2013.

Safeco Field and Century Link Field both sit within 200 yards of a rail line that sees several trains pulling the same Baaken Crude that exploded in Lac-Mégantic. The same rails carry Baaken laden trains through a tunnel that sit directly beneath downtown Seattle, including the King County Administration Building, Benaroya Hall, and Pike Place Market, not to mention several hotels and businesses and the thousands of people downtown at any given moment.

From the Facebook event page…

“On July 11th at 5:30 pm at 656 Occidental Way, join us to stop oil trains in Seattle!

On July 6, 2013, an oil train exploded in Lac Megantic, Quebec, killing 47 people. Two years later, and big oil is pushing harder than ever to move more and more oil trains through North America, while oil trains keep exploding, and carbon emissions keep rising.

The new US Department of Transportation rules on oil train safety will not protect the 25 million Americans who live in the oil train blast zone, because there is NO safe way to transport extreme tar sands and Bakken crude.

Attendees please wear black. The rally will begin at 5:30PM to be followed by a processional (an 8 minute walk) to Safeco Field. We will perform a die in or silent, standing vigil in front of Safeco Field representing the 47 lives lost in the Quebec tragedy.

Please arrive by 5:15PM if you are willing to hold a sign or prop during the event. There will be music, voices from labor and front-line communities and a vision of a fossil free future.

No more exploding trains. No more Bakken oil or tar sands. Join our event on July 11th!

We will meet at 656 Occidental Ave South (next to Century Link Field parking lot).

Host Contact Info: davidperk@comcast.net or holmeskatherine@hotmail.com” – Seattle Oil Train Rally and Vigil

More than 100 activists and union supporters joined together with Unite Here Local 8 workers and union members to picket and persuade possible occupants to boycott the Hyatt. While the majority of activists continued a picket of the Grand Hyatt, a small group broke off and began a picket at the Olive 8, a new location for demonstrations in Seattle.

From the Unite Here Local 8 press release…

“Workers and community supporters continue to support Hyatt workers in a rally and picket line in front of the Grand Hyatt Seattle. Please join us!

When: Wednesday, July 8, 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Where: Grand Hyatt Seattle, 721 Pine Street

Background:

Workers at the Grand Hyatt at the Hyatt at Olive 8 called for a boycott in August 2013, and it is still gaining momentum in the community. So far, seven customers have moved events out of the Seattle Hyatts, the most recent being Lake Washington Girls Middle School. The Middle School moved within days of their event to support workers. The city-wide convention of the Specialty Coffee Association of America has altered plans to support the boycott. In addition, over 20 state representatives and senators and over 30 non-profits and community groups have endorsed the boycott.

After years of struggling for dignity and respect on the job, workers have called for a fair process to form a union. In July of 2013, UNITE HERE and Hyatt Hotels at the corporate level reached a national agreement on such a process, which has gone forward at other Hyatts in the U.S. So far, the local owner of the Grand Hyatt Seattle and Hyatt at Olive 8 has refused to implement the agreed elections process in Seattle.”